Restaurant Worker Dies After Cleaning Chemicals Hazmat

Proper building ventilation and personal protective equipment (PPE) are crucial when using chemical cleaning agents as evidenced by the death of a restaurant employee after exposure to a floor cleaner, USA Today reports.

An employee at Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington, Massachusetts, began cleaning the floor in the restaurant’s kitchen with an agent containing sodium hypochlorite, or liquid bleach, then stepped outside for fresh air due to the strong fumes. Another employee tried to move the chemicals out of the restaurant with a squeegee when he was overcome from the fumes. Emergency responders transported him to a hospital, where he later died.

Ten other people, eight employees and two customers, drove themselves to the hospital, where they reported difficulty breathing, runny and watery eyes, and shortness of breath. None were believed to be seriously injured.

“This type of injury is not uncommon, unfortunately,” said Mark Warner, education manager with ISSA’s Cleaning Management Institute (CMI). “It is generally due to the reactive nature of bleach with other chemicals. When bleach is exposed to acids or ammonia, it will give off a deadly gas as part of the chemical reaction…That is why CMI courses have an intense focus on chemical safety.”

Emergency authorities evacuated the restaurant and closed it for the night in preparation for a hazmat investigation. The hazmat team found the restaurant to be safe and local law enforcement officials are looking into the matter further.

Training your staff on the proper use of cleaning chemicals, including following dilution instructions, can help avoid hazmat situations. Wearing PPE such respirators and disposable masks over the nose and mouth can protect workers from lung damage due to frequent exposure to bleach, ammonia, and other cleaning chemicals.